This is part of a series where you can learn about marketing from other small businesses.

In this interview with Heather Smith, the Principal of ANISE Consulting we learn how she effectively builds her customer relationships.

Heather thanks for taking the time for the interview.

First, can you tell us about your business?

ANISE Consulting was created in 2004 with the vision of supporting the accounting side of small business.  ANISE is an star shaped spice, and I see the star as a symbol of an interactive network amongst the small businesses that I deal with. We give the small business owner guidance in setting up their system, so they can measure key performance areas, assist them in understanding what their reports mean to them, problem solve, train and support them generally in the accounting area.

Our clients range from the start-up operator, through to medium sized international businesses, which use MYOB software. 

As we know our customer relationships are key for a successful business, can you describe how you build your customer relationships?

I love my clients and that my accounting skills can help them in a small way have a positive impact on their business cash flow, their lives and the Australian economy.

I naturally like dealing with people, seeing small businesses succeed and am fortunate to have a memory like an elephant.  If something comes across my desk or I have written something that I think will be of use or relevant to them, I will send it to them in an email. 

 For example our local chamber of commerce has monthly networking breakfasts which I invite clients to. Also the Australian Taxation Office runs free information seminars, so I will actively let my clients know about them or if I think two clients would benefit from meeting I will actively introduce them. 

 The new government grant strategy for online business education could benefit some of my clients, so I forward them the information, and for every five I forward on, I will typically get a response, “hey thanks, can you come in and see me”.  

I am also currently exploring the benefits of social media to further strengthen my customer relationships.

How do you generally gain new customers?

There are three main areas where I gain new customers from:

• MYOB Australia’s prequalified list of MYOB Certified Consultants
• Internet Search
• Word of Mouth

I find that prospective clients may initially hear of the business, and then come to the website to find out more details. A prospective client rang the other day, explained her problem to me and asked me to come and visit them.  I listened and suggested she try a couple of things.  She contacted me later that day to tell me that my suggestions had resolved her issues, and cancelled the appointment.  I realise that I made no money from that interaction, and many may think that is stupid but it does lay the foundation for a future relationship.

What are the 2 or 3 key success factors that have helped grow your business?

I have always loved writing, and find it quite cathartic to write about what I have learnt during the process of growing my own business or assisting my own clients.  I try to give away as much information as possible to assist a small business owner to run the accounting side of their business.

I am fortunate to have found several outlets, notable Flying Solo and MyBRC who regularly publish my articles. 

Another area that has assisted me in growing the businesses has been adopting technology; through remote access and Skype I can connect to small businesses around the world and assist them with their accounting issues.  Taxes may be different, but the role of management accounts is generally the same. 

Finally, what 2 or 3 successful marketing activities have you implemented that could help other small businesses grow?

I think it is essential to have a business website and undertake SEO optimisation, either outsource it, or learn strategies yourself.

I would also encourage business owners to write about their areas of expertise, or interesting case studies and offer the articles up to relevant publication.  Initially it is time consuming, and a learning curve, but there are a lot of publications looking for articles of substance.

Heather Smith is on a mission to improve the financial literacy of business through empowering the business owner to produce accurate and meaningful management reports in a timely manner.  She is a Commerce graduate, an Ambassador and Fellow of the ACCA, an MYOB Certified Consultant, a writer and keen user of technology and social media. Her website is ANISE Consulting and you can follow her on Twitter @MYOBTrainer.

From a business point of view it could be: you always showing up on time, receiving thank you notes, referrals, being invited to seminars, receiving free samples, being asked for feedback, having a chat and laugh.

From a personal point of view it could be: a welcoming smile, skiing, hanging out with the family, listening to music, playing with the latest technology tools, watching movies like Happy Feet (had to put  this is one as it is one of my favs).

Click here if you can’t see the Happy Feet video.
 

There are so many possibilities if you think about it.

However it is an important piece when building strong relationships with your customers to gain these insights from both a business and personal aspect.

Why is it important?

It helps you build a customer profile of your key customers and guides you when developing new products or services, communicating etc. It helps you to tailor your service delivery and fine tune your marketing activities.

It also stops you making assumptions, which can lead you down the wrong path and not strengthen the relationship or grow your business profitably.

How to find out

If you are in a service business and have face to face contact gaining this insight is a little easier. You can ask them, observe their surroundings, and actively listen when gaining feedback or just making small talk.

However even if you have an online business or many customers there are still ways to find out what makes them happy both in business and in their personal life. For example you could conduct an online survey, take a poll on your website, or ask them via a newsletter.

You can also pick up clues by listening and observing if they use social media or  are involved in online chats or forums etc.

Examples

A good customer of our business loves to Kite Surf . This is a short video if you do not know the sport.

 Click here if you can’t see the Kite Surfing Video.

He is always happy when he can fit this into his week. He says it lessens the stress of working and actually helps him to be more productive.

 We have set up a really easy alert and if it appears that the weather will be just right we send him a simple text, email or voicemail in the morning. This means he can organise his day to do his work and enjoy his sport and he doesn’t have to worry about checking out the weather report himself.

Another example is a couple of customers who we have never met in person as they live in America. They like to feel involved, provide feedback for our business and are happy when we ask for their opinions and suggestions. Due to this we have gained a closer relationship and some of their suggestions are great opportunities we would not have thought of ourselves.

Gaining more information about your customers can be done step by step and over time. The key is to actually start as it will lead to more effective marketing, stronger customer relationships and a healthier business.

What makes your customers happy?

Are you striving to reach the highest standards to grow your brand and develop strong customer relationships with your marketing?

Then “Don’t” Sweat The Small Stuff” .

If you wait for everything to be perfect you are likely to have more disappointments than you need to. Remember marketing is all about people and very many shades of colour.

Here are a few ways to not sweat the small stuff and get greater results with your marketing:

Set High Standards

They do not have to be impossibly the highest standards ever because this can lead to  paralysis as you just to be sure. Always be reaching a little higher but make sure you can achieve so you can celebrate your success.

Creative Thinking

There are so many options you can take when developing your product or service, pricing, building customer relationships, marketing initiatives. If you apply creative thinking  that just might make the difference with your customers.

Loosen the  Control

Customers have always had control; the difference today is that it is much more visible in ways that were not possible even 5 years ago. Including others in your marketing will actually produce better ideas, better products or services. This does not mean abdicating responsibility or not managing your marketing. It just means be open to listening to others especially your customers as no one is right all the time.

Don’t Worry About Perfection

If you wait until everything is perfect you may never actually launch your next product or service, blog, website or marketing initiative. Marketing your brand is a journey, you learn things along the way, however you actually need to jump in or you may find your competitors leaving your behind.

Don’t Worry About Minute Details

If you sweat on the minor details of a project such as thinking you can’t launch your website until you find that perfect shade of colour, then perhaps ask your self a question. “Will spending 2 hours trying all the different shades increase your sales, strengthen your customer relationships or improve profitability?”

Part of successful marketing is learning from mistakes and seeing what you can fine tune or improve.

Enjoy your journey of marketing your brand as it is one of the most exciting aspects of operating a small business.

So, over to you what are your thoughts on this topic?

 The great thing about owning a small business is that we can all learn from each other.

 In this interiew with Rebecca Derrington, founder of SourceBottle she shares her experiences with her new business, including marketing lessons learnt.

Hi Rebecca, first tell us about yourself and SourceBottle?

Up until 12 years ago, I was a lawyer, but quickly realised I was more passionate about public relations and marketing. So, I started over – completing a business degree and working up to senior-level marketing, public relations and corporate communication roles in the services sector. I started my own public relations firm nearly four years ago (after the birth of my first child), and SourceBottle just four months ago.

SourceBottle is a free subscription service that emails ‘call outs’ for sources from journalists and bloggers to anyone subscribed to the service. Subscribers can choose to receive all of the call outs or limit the call outs to those dealing with select topics. Once an alert is emailed, anyone subscribed to the service with the sought-after expertise can respond directly to the journalist or blogger posting the call out. All parties benefit using the service – journalists and bloggers can ‘mine’ an extensive talent pool for sources, and sources can get highly sought-after publicity. 

 Why did you establish SourceBottle, what was the opportunity that you identified?

I’ve been working in PR and Marketing for a long time and I’d heard of ‘leads’ services offered overseas. But I knew most were only available to paid subscribers. I didn’t know if anyone in Australia offered a ‘leads’ service as a stand-alone business, particularly not one that was free for both journalists and subscribers. This was integral to my business model since I believed then, and now, that by offering this service at no cost, subscribers would be richer in diversity, expertise and size (making them far more attractive to journalists and bloggers).

So I took the plunge and built the website and hoped ‘they would come’. And thankfully they did. Now, four months on, I’m even more convinced this is the right business model for a resource like this – for businesses and journalists alike.

How do you build and strengthen your relationships with the journalists, bloggers and the small businesses etc?

I’m a prolific user of Twitter. It’s by far my social media tool of choice. And more than any other tool I’ve used, Twitter’s helped me build brand awareness and strengthen relationships with all of my stakeholders.

 What marketing activities online and offline have proven to be the most successful SourceBottle?

SourceBottle had a few challenges when I first started out. They were:

1. Educating people about the service, since many found the concept hard  grasp.
2. The diversity of my three distinctive target audiences – journalists/bloggers, businesses and public relations professionals.
3. A very small budget (after investing in the website’s development) for marketing and promotion.

 So I sent out press releases to every media outlet possible using a media distribution service and started tweeting the call outs on Twitter, with a link back to the website.

 Since your launch can you share the 2 or 3 key marketing lessons that you have learnt that could help other small businesses? 

1. If you provide a service – make it the best. Do whatever it takes to make a client’s/customer’s experience with you the best it can be. Most importantly, make it easy to do business with you.
2. Take advantage of your size and how quickly that enables you to make modifications and improvements. If your business model or approach needs adjusting, do it quickly and let your clients/customers know about the improvement.
3. Use social media – it’s a wonderful free tool that can help you communicate directly with your target audience/s (this includes listening).

Rebecca is an experienced public relations and marketing strategist, as well as a qualified drama coach and workplace trainer. She is also the founder of SourceBottle, a free subscription service that emails ‘call outs’ for sources from journalists and bloggers. You can also follow Rebecca on Twitter @SourceBottle.